June 5, 1945 – May 10, 2023

We had a bit of a time explaining dad’s occupation to the funeral director. “Well, he made his money from selling antiques. And teaching—he taught art and calligraphy classes through his beloved Rose Center. He designed furniture at Berkline and had a printing company for a while. Mainly, he was an artist. What medium? Well, ink, watercolor, oils, sculpture—wood, stone, clay, and paper. And he did a lot of volunteer work: the Morristown Art Association, the Rose Service Guild, the Knoxville Museum of Art, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the From Africa to Appalachia Foundation… Could you just put raconteur? No? Hm.”

The word we were looking for was “curator”: he gathered, cared for, and developed collections. He loved beauty and sought to highlight and showcase it for the world: the natural forms of minerals, stones, driftwood, plants and shells. Fine art created by human hands, his own included. He also loved good design: furniture, lamps, dishes, clocks. He had a deep appreciation for the beauty in the everyday.

Maybe this appreciation started in reaction to his own early years in Youngstown and Warren, Ohio, not easy places to find beauty in the industrial boom of the 1940s. Florida and North Carolina provided a closer connection to natural beauty, as well as East Tennessee, where he came to attend the Tennessee Military Institute and then East Tennessee State University. It was there that he committed to art and design, a love he quickly came back to after his military service, just as he came back to East Tennessee.

Always a curator, he carefully selected and arranged the furniture and art in his home, changing arrangements every season. His latest installation, alas, was a memorial for his partner and companion for 36 years, Carol Robinette. He curated friendships—too many to list here, but one of his deepest was with fellow artist Sammie Nicely, who also preceded him in death. Fortunately, he has many friends who still remember him, his care and his kindness fondly.

In addition to Carol and Sammie, his brother, James, and his former wife, Kathy Peoples Boatman, preceded him in death. He is survived by his sons Rob, Michael, and Nick; two daughters-in-law, Jennifer and Alyson, and six grandchildren: Hannah, Zeke, Jake, Luke, Lilliana, and Annalise. His collection of family and friends will survive him, inspired by him, growing and curating themselves and others in ever-expanding circles of beauty.

If you have been touched by these circles, help us curate a loving celebration of his life at Rose Center on Friday, May 19, from 6-10 pm. There will be a memorial at 6:30, followed by food, drink, and stories. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Rose Center.

He said he always felt more comfortable setting up—curating?—a party, rather than attending one. We have to admire his creativity in setting up a foolproof plan for this one last time.

Arrangements by Mayes Funeral Home.